TCHAD
A vast, forbidding desert at the crossroads of North and Central Africa, Tchad is rarely visited by tourists. And yet this barren landscape is exquisite in its ‘splendid isolation’, its topography hugely varied and packed with hidden wonders that bear witness to a fascinating past. More than nine thousands years ago when Tchad was a land of abundant grasslands and wildlife, human settlers took advantage of its position on the trans-Saharan trade routes. Productivity and trade flourished while empires rose and fell over millennia. An exploration of this terrestrial ocean is guaranteed to set all senses tingling as the past reveals itself in tantalising fragments.
EXPLORING THE DESERT
Piero Ravà fell in love with the desert on an overland trip in 1975. Soon after, he formed Societé de Voyages Sahariens (S.V.S.) and began leading expeditions to Niger, Algeria, Libya and Tchad. Nearly five decades on, his sons Rocco and Tomaso, together with their team of passionate expedition leaders, continue to explore and discover.
Based in Kenya, Tropic Air Helicopters is a diverse company best known for aerial filming, wildlife conservation and bespoke expeditions to Africa's wildest and most remote regions. Over the past 20 years, Tropic Air’s clients have experienced pioneering trips to Ethiopia's Danakil depression, spent nights under the stars by the shores of Lake Turkana and even landed atop the active Virunga volcanoes.
With the Sahara too compelling to ignore, Tropic Air joined forces with S.V.S. in 2018 to create rare desert encounters in Tchad. The result has been truly extraordinary. Every trip to this remarkable land has been a voyage of discovery, the experience of working together tethering us to a future of further discovery.
This trip to Chad is characterized by flying to incredibly remote places, landing by insane features and taking the time to walk around and explore the areas. Time really does slow down in an area like this, with no connection to the outside world.
THE ENNEDI
WARDA CAMP
The Warda Camp is situated in the Ennedi Massif, a spectacular region known to many as a 'Garden of Eden'. Its unique geographical features have been sculptured over time by water and wind into a spectacular plateau with canyons and valleys, and hundreds of natural arches, spires, pillars and columns, rising 1,450 meters, from the deserts of the Sahara that surround it on all sides. The camp is located at the heart of Ennedi, it is the ultimate base to explore the desert.
In the middle of this plateau, it’s possible to see Barbary sheep, Dama gazelle, baboons, striped hyenas, fennec foxes, and little gerbils. Patas monkeys live close to camp, and at night, all sorts of things come out. Only a short while ago, giraffes and cheetahs also found refuge here.
Whilst at Warda, we typically leave camp after breakfast with a packed picnic lunch. We return to camp in the early afternoon for a siesta and then head out for a short evening sundowner flight. During an excursion we make several landings to explore the surroundings and take short walks.
EAST ENNEDI
The East of Ennedi has several natural archways including the second highest natural archway in the world, Aloba Arch; 120 meters tall and 75 meters wide - surpassed only by Shipton’s Arch in China. The massive sandstone structure was initially hollowed out by ancient streams, and polished over centuries by sand storms.
We will land at the Gaguele Canyon, a beautiful white sandy gorge lined with thick doum palm forests, the ideal location for a walk and a picnic lunch.
